Richard Bell Smith

Winters were passed interpreting these memories of nature in oils on canvas. I felt completely immersed in the colors, sounds, aroma, and even the taste of the forest. This was the beginning of a lasting and intensely spiritual relationship with nature that permeates my art to this day.

For the past many years I have concentrated my efforts on welded bronze and copper sculpture. I feel that working directly with molten metal is an ideal way to capture the spontaneous yet orderly flow and rhythm of organic forms. My sculptures tend toward the interpretive and subjective end of the impressionist/photographic realist spectrum. I strive to capture and communicate the essence of a tree as I experience it rather than to reproduce a photographic copy of the original.

It is my sincere desire that my art might inspire people who routinely see only the decorative aspect of art to delve into a more introspective way of viewing, and in this way to not only satisfy their craving for beauty, but to deepen their understanding of the essence of art as well.